Happy Birthday to Andrew, who will be my son-in-law, as of Friday night!

                                           

And here are a few cute pictures I took yesterday -

                                           

                                           

                                           

                                           

What a crazy, busy, wild couple of weeks we are having!  By yesterday, I was exhausted and feeling so embarrassed.  But I had to keep telling myself that these things aren't important, that it is the PEOPLE in my life who are important, and that everyone who happens to come to my house now and sees it such a state of disarray will have to just take me for who I am and my life for what it is.  Those are lessons I have learned before, and that I am now having yet another chance to live them out.

We are in the middle of wedding plans and kitchen remodeling.  Actually, kitchen disaster at this point.  The wedding plans are coming to an end, but there is so much to do, so many phone calls to be made (reminder to myself to call the rental place for some things I need to rent for the reception here), errands to run, a shawl I am knitting to be finished up, food to make for a get-together this weekend, etc, etc.

I have been out of the house so much, and when I am in the house I am busy with important things, like my grandchildren, the knitting, etc, that housework has been non-existent.  NON existent.  I manage to get clothes in the washer and dryer, and sometimes I get a few things folded or hung up, but not much.  There is always another place to run to.  Jim's shirts are getting ironed on a need to wear basis; he needs buttons sewn onto 3 of his lab coats, and the nice clothes rod that Sam put up for me years ago for the very purpose of hanging clothes up to finish drying in my laundry room, is so full that there is no room for anything else.  So, I had things hanging in the small bathroom nearby. 

Yesterday I had a hair appt and a million errands to run in the morning, came home just in time to fix a salad for lunch, and to eat it, but not to clean up after it, except to throw the dishes in the sink.  The dishes in the dishwasher were clean but needed unloaded, I managed to pile up the million papers that were on the kitchen table and move them . . . where?  There was nowhere to put them quickly . . . so I just sat them on a love seat in my living room, which already had things there that I need to remember to put in the suitcase. . . all this because I was having a kitchen planning meeting with the cabinet lady and my designer and Sam and we needed the table to put all the paperwork on. . . and my counters are COVERED with stuff that had to come out of the part of the kitchen that is torn out. . . and I had hoped to run the vacuum, but that didn't happen, and the leaves and dirt that have been dragged in and the bugs that I can't keep up with. . .and the toys that didn't quite all get picked up. . .

Anyway, so everyone was here, and I was just so overwhelmed and I had so many kitchen decisions to make, and all of my cabinets were opened up and the love seat sat in to check on the height of a cabinet from there, and the piles of stuff and clothes and everything out where it doesn't belong, and all of my drawers looked in (for good reason, to see what kinds of storage I need).

After the kitchen "team" left, I looked around at the dirty dishes in the sink, the counter tops that have clutter on every bit of them, the piles of stuff I keep moving from one place to the other, and it was almost dinner time and I needed to figure something out for that.  I knew I had a decision to make.  I could cry and be upset and whine and let the humiliation of just exactly what my house looks like wash over me and feel sorry for myself.  Or I could recall to mind the lessons I have learned over the years.  People are more important than what my house looks like.  My family is more important than what my house looks like.  My family doesn't care what my house looks like, and other people, if they care, don't have to come back.  And if the kitchen "team" - the 2 ladies who are working with me on the cabinets, etc, care, which I am sure they don't - well, they are getting paid to be here and see it all!

So, I put a few clothes away, unloaded the dishwasher, knitted a few rows on the shawl, and looked around the kitchen for what to eat.  I had bread and eggs available - French toast!  I had a working burner on the stove (the only one that works reliably; the others are iffy).  Jim loved it!

It has taken me 6 hours to write this post - I keep having to save it and get back to it.  Why?  Because today was another day of busyness - I babysat my grandchildren so that Amanda could get her hair cut, then went with her to the mall to look for some more things we need, not very many of which we found.  Then I had more errands to run, and I am still not finished, but it started raining, and I decided I need a break.

But, Andrew called to thank me for his birthday present that I had sent and said, "Hi, Mom!".  I loved it!  The kids had their toys all over the place, and then were so excited to go to the mall.  I wouldn't miss that for all the clean houses in the world.  And tonight, we are invited to the home of some friends from church because another couple who had moved away is back in town.  What a blessing to be invited and wanted!

Sigh. . . I will get organized again after the wedding, just in time for the kitchen to REALLY be torn up!

Every summer, for those of you who might be new to reading my blog, since Betsy graduated from high school, which was 2004, she and I make up a cute alliteration to fit whatever reading we want to do in the summer.  It all started after a very serious senior year of high school - Betsy was homeschooled, and she had some heavy reading to do that senior year.  So we started with the "Mad Murder Mystery Month of May" where we read light mysteries, and we continued on, coming up with some fun reading topics.  And we didn't have the same reading topics.  They have often been focused, like all spiritual reading, or one summer I read all things to do with theater and drama, since that was Betsy's major in college.  As she went on to college and I went back to school for ASL and interpreting, most of the year was always filled with heavy, sometimes academic, reading.  We really had fun, coming up with an alliteration for our summer reading!

Last week, I had quite a moment of sadness - I texted Betsy to tell her how sad I was that she wasn't home for us to make up our reading alliterations for the summer!  She asked me what I wanted to read, and I told her that after the usual  Mad Murder Mystery Month of May, I want to read much more serious stuff for the summer that I have waiting for me, but I wanted to be free to read something light in between.  For me, the serious stuff will be several things from a great new book I have on Deaf Culture to another great new book I have on fabrics and sewing.  I also have several biographies I want to read and a book on the use of quilts in the Underground Railroad during the Civil War.

So, she texted me back rather quickly with this, and I love it, so it is my summer reading alliteration (after May - my brain can't read anything more serious than a mindless mystery this May for sure):

A Single Summer of Serious and Sensible Speculations with Scattered Sashays into Silliness

Betsy then came up with her own alliteration, including in hers the May reading:

The Mad Murder Mystery (and Marriage Mentoring) Month of May Sparks a Summer Spent with Sensible Selections, Spiritual Solace, and Spanish Studies

It is with a heavy heart that I write this morning, as I am also watching the news about all the destruction across the south from the tornadoes.  Wow.  Looking forward to hearing from all of my xanga friends who have been in the affected areas.

I am a little late blogging about last week and weekend!  So much to do here in the 2 weeks before Betsy's wedding!  I am knitting a shawl for her - a white, formal-type shawl that is turning out to be pretty although takes a long time to knit.  Pictures of that whenever I get it finished!

Last week we had 2 birthdays to celebrate!  Megan had turned 2 on April 2nd, but she, and most of her family, had been sick for several weeks, so we put off a birthday party.  And Suzanne's birthday (age 31 - ha ha, she can't yell at me too loudly from where she lives for telling her age!) was April 25th.  And she was home for the few days before Easter, but was driving back on Easter day.  So, we had a birthday and Easter family get-together over the weekend!

My kitchen is still in construction-mode, but still usable, so we went on with the party, although you can see the torn up kitchen and the misplaced cabinets and all, in the pictures!  More about the kitchen later - I think we have finally picked out everything!

So, here are some of us sitting around after dinner that evening -

                                

                                

                                

Everyone wanted to hold baby John!

                                

The kids couldn't wait until it was time for cake and ice cream! 

                                

                                

                                
                               
                                

                                

                                

Time to open presents!

                                

We gave Megan some hair bows and barrettes and rubber bands, so she has one displayed in her hair -

                                

                                

More play time -

                                

Then it was time to get jackets on and get ready to go home.  Here is John in his car seat, and then Charlie coming up to give him a hug!

                                    

                                     

                                      

Doesn't that kitchen just look lovely?  Sigh.

The next day when the kids came over, Megan looked so cute in pigtails!

                                      

                                       

Charlie isn't happy about getting his picture taken these days, so I don't have too many of him right now!

So, my days are filled with wedding planning, kitchen planning, trying to do normal household chores, and knitting on the shawl!                 

                                

Happy Birthday to Suzanne!  We had a wonderful few days with her home, while her school where she teaches was on Spring Break.  We shopped, watched DVDs of old TV shows, shopped, had a family party to celebrate her birthday and Megan's too, shopped, worshipped together on Easter, had fun with one sister and kiddos, and did I mention that we went shopping. . . ?

I haven't gotten pictures from all of that on here yet!  But I will!

                                        

Here are a few of the quilts and projects that our group completed, that we showed on our last day of camp before leaving -

                                     

                                     

                                     

                                     

                                     

                                     

                                      

                                      

This is my pinwheel spin again, turned another way -

                                      

And I made this quilt for Betsy, in coffee fabrics that she picked out -

                                      

I'll have to get a better picture of that coffee quilt once it is quilted.  That was a little taste of quilt camp!  Can't wait to go again in the fall!

This past weekend, while I was at quilt camp, we had some major storms come through this area of Virginia.  Many places were flooded.  At the camp where we were, there were lots of areas flooded, water in many buildings (only a little in ours), and roads were closed.  We were so thankful that we never lost electricity, and we were able to joke about how "terrible" it would be to be stuck at quilt camp another day!  The storm was Saturday, and we were staying until Sunday afternoon anyway, so we didn't really think there would be a problem. 

After the storm went through, some of us took walks and took pictures of what it looked like - if you look closely, you can see out and towards the tree that is in the center, the water is rushing along - there is normally no water there at all -

                                          

Maybe you can see it better here -

                                          

More pictures of the camp after the storm -

                                           

This is Sheila with me - my good friend of many years.  She is the one who organized this quilt camp.

                                           

So, we sewed and sewed.  We found out that the road was open on Saturday night, and two of our group who were coming and going from home, were glad to be able to get out! 

On Sunday morning, we always have an optional worship service.  Because the outside area where we usually go was quite wet, we had it indoors.  We had a brunch on Sunday morning, and the funniest thing happened - at least I found it amusing.  We went to the dining hall for our brunch, and we passed lots of RVs and groups of people having breakfast or a worship service outside - there was another event at Camp Bethel that weekend, "Sounds of the Mountains" festival, with music and storytelling.  Much of that was rained out on Saturday, especially for people who were trying to drive in for the day.  But the activities still went on.  Sunday there were music workshops scheduled, and many of them had to be moved around because the rain had caused some of the buildings to be closed. 

So, we walked into the dining hall, and there was a small group of guitarists playing in one corner of this fairly large room.  About 5 or 6 of them - a teacher and young students.  So, as we were getting seated, the teacher called out, "We were flooded out of our building, and we were moved here. . ."    . . .  and then I was expecting something like So we hope we won't disturb your meal, or Please bear with us, or we appreciate you putting up with us. . .  But that isn't what she said.  She said, "So will you all keep it down so that we can play?"  It took us a minute for that to register.  She was telling 22 or so women, who were paying for meals, who had been sewing and having fun all weekend, to not talk loudly so that they could have their class?  We weren't going to be there more than a half hour, and she said it very rudely.  We had been very quiet when we sat down, but we still had our door prizes to give out, and our blessing to say, and announcements to make, and she made everyone just want to talk louder.  I thought it was soooo funny!  I still chuckle when I think about it, and I think that it strikes me so funny because I was expecting one thing and got quite another!

We had a great time, though, and after brunch, we went back to sew some more, and then pack up and have show and tell!  I'll show that next time!

The psaltery weekend ended with a "Bowed Psaltery Symphony" on Sunday afternoon.  They played some music by an Irish composer, Turlough O'Carolan.  It was a nice concert!

 I took some pictures as they were getting organized, and tuned and rehearsing -

                                        

Here they were all looking up at the sound techs as they worked to get the sound and the lights adjusted -

                                         

                                          

There were about 40 people up on that small stage!  It all went very well, and there was a nice group in the audience to listen.

Here is the group taking a picture outside -

                                           

Nice weekend!    I had a great time, met some wonderful people, enjoyed great music, got quite a bit of sewing done, and I am looking forward to going again next year.  Not going to learn to play the Psaltery in the meantime - I will still go and stitch.

Speaking of stitching - quilt camp is this coming weekend!!                               

What is a Bowed Psaltery?  It is a stringed instrument, played with a bow.  Here are a few of the bowed psalteries at the workshop that I attended this past weekend -

                                      

                                      

                                      

                                      

I don't play one, but my husband does!  He became interested in them a couple of years ago when we visited a crafts/art/gift place in West Virginia, called Tamarack.  They have on-site woodworkers, the Westmans, who make these bowed psalteries, teach people to play them, and have offered weekend workshops these past two years, followed by a Bowed Psaltery Symphony at Tamarack.  Jim has been to both of these workshops, and this year, I went with him.  It was a lot of fun!

Everyone spent the day, Thursday - Saturday, from about 10 AM until 8 PM, taking different workshops, practicing music, and having a great time together!  That's Jim, in the front of this picture -

                                      

                                      

                                      

                                      

                                      

                                      

                                      

                                      

                                      

People came from all over to attend!  We met people from Ohio, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, South Carolina, West Virginia. . . and all ages - some in their 70's and some who are teenagers.  Many of them had the same story - they were passing through Tamarack on a trip, saw the bowed psalteries, heard some people play them, and wanted one!

Those of us who were from out of town stayed in the same motel, and at night, the group would meet together in the motel breakfast room to "jam" - which is a pretty organized, unorganized opportunity to get a bunch of musicians together to play lots of fun music!

Many of these people played more than one instrument, and the "jam" was a chance to play them -

                                      

                                      

                                      

                                      

What did I do all weekend?  I quilted!  I sat out of the way of the group with my Grandmother's Flower Garden hand piecing, and happily listened to the music and sewed.  Oh, and of course, I shopped, ate, chatted, and took walks.

Next time - the Bowed Psaltery Symphony

Last Saturday. as part of the quilt weekend at the Salem Museum (Salem, VA), I took a class called "Pinwheel Spin."  I didn't get a picture of Barbara's very beautiful Pinwheel Spin that she made to demonstrate her technique!  But you can see it in Polly's blog - just click on the link and then scroll down to the blog that is about the class. 

Here is Barbara demonstrating one of the steps for us -

                                     

And here are various pictures of the gals in the class hard at work!

                                     

                                     

                                     

                                     

                                     

                                     

Kathy is getting quite a bit of hers done!

                                     

                                     

I would have gotten a lot more done, and I did finally get all of my triangles pieced together, but I was doing something more important. . . chatting with Polly!! 

                                     

What a wonderful weekend of quilting and visiting!